Apparatus for raising or lowering invalids.



Patented Sept. I2, I899.

F. SPIDER 8L w. SNYDER.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING UR LUWERING INVALIDS.

. [Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

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No. 633,051 Patented Sept. l2, 1899. F. SPIGER & w. SNYDER.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING 0R LOWERING INVALIDS.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.)

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FRANK SPIGER AND \VILLIAM SNYDER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING OR LOWERING INVALIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 633,051, datedSeptember 12, 1899.

Application filed January 3, 1899. $erial No. 701,002. (No model.)

To (bi/Z whom, it Duty concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK SPICER and \VILLIAM SNYDER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster andState of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Raising or Lowering Invalids, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for raising andlowering invalids, and pertains to a construction whereby the invalidmay be raised bodily from the bedstead and the bedclothing renewed orwhereby the head of the invalid may be raised while he is lying upon thebed, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus adapted to beused in connection with a bedstead of any style whatever and by means ofwhich the invalid may be raised bodily from the bedstead and turned sothat the bedclothing may be removed and clean bedding placed thereon andthen replaced upon the bed with but little or no exertion on the part ofthe operator, and the whole apparatus adapted to be actuated by oneperson, the same also being constructed to permit of the raising of thehead of the invalid while he is lying upon the bed, if desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of ourinvention, showing it used in connection with a bedstead and the invalidin bed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the invalidelevated together with the bedclothing and ready to be turned for thepurpose of removing the bedclothing from under him and placing cleanbedding in its place. Fig. 3 is a view showing the invalid turned forthe purpose of enabling the clothing to be removed and clean clothingput in its place. Fig. 4 is avertical section taken on the dotted line44: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the raising and turningmembers. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the upper end of theoperating-shaft, showing a clutch for throwing one of the wheels but ofengagement with the main operatingshaft.

In the drawings, A is a bedstead, which may be of any form or style andwith which our invention is used. The mechanism has no connectionwhatever with the bed and the bed, as stated, may be of any form, shape,or size which is adapted to be placed between the elevating mechanism tobe now described.

13 are posts or standards situated outside of each end of the bed, andjournaled to the inner sides of these standards are the verticalscrew-threaded shafts O. The standards 13 are provided with verticalways or slots D, and upon the shafts C are situated theinternally-sorew-threaded sockets E, These sockets are provided withoutwardlyprojecting arms a, which move in the ways or slots D of thestandards 13.

J ournaled at the upper ends of the standards is a shaft F, whichextends longitudinally of the bed A, the shaft having at each end andinside of the standards B the bevelgears G and H, which are adapted tointermesh with the bevel-gears I, attached to the upper ends of thescrew-threaded shafts C. One end of this shaft F projects outside of oneof the standards B, as shown at J, and carries a bevel-gear K.

Journaled to the outer side of the standards B, adjacent the projectingend J of the shaft F, is a vertical operating-shaft L, carrying at itsupper end a bevel-gear M, which meshes with the gear K upon theprojecting end of the shaft F, as clearlyillustrated. The lower end ofthe shaft L carries a bevel-gear N, which in turn meshes with the gearP, carried by a crank-shaft Q, whereby the turning of the crank-shaftwill revolve the vertical shaft L and through the medium of the geardescribed rotates the shaft F, and the shaft F in turn rotates thevertical shaft 0, situated at the inner side of the standards 13. Therotation of these shafts G will raise and lower the screw-threadedsockets E, as will be readily understood. These sockets E are providedwith inwardly-extending arms I), to which are journaled the holders B.These holders have upper and lower arms 0 c, for a purpose to bepresently described. One of these holders R is provided with a gear d,by means of which it is rotated through the medium of a shaft 6.(Clearly shown in Fig. 5.) This shaft 6 is journaled to one of thesockets E and at one side of the screw-threaded shafts G. Attached tothe inner end of this shaft 6 is a pinion f, meshing with the gear 61 ofthe holder R. The outer end of this shaft e is provided with a gearg,which meshes with a clutch h, the said clutch adapted to movevertically upon the shaft L.

In operation a sheet of canvas 1' is placed upon the mattress and overwhich the bedclothing is placed and upon which the invalid lies. When itis desired to change the bedclothing, the ends of the canvas sheet 2'are attached to the lower arms 0 of the holders B, through the medium ofbuttons 5 or other fastening devices, and an additional canvas sheet 70is placed over the invalid with its ends connected with the upper arms 0of the holders R, and then the edges of the canvas are united throughthe medium of the rope or lacing t. The invalid is elevated then throughthe mechanism before described in the position shown in Fig. 2 and thenrotated through the medium of the shaft 6, as before described, into theposition shown in Fig. 3. Then by the removal of the canvas i, which isnow the upper canvas, the bedclothing may be removed and new clothingplaced thereon, the invalid turned again to the position shown in Fig. 2and lowered upon the bed, as will be readily understood.

The gear-wheel G, carried by the shaft F, is loose thereon and adaptedto be locked to the shaft through the medium of a clutch m. lVhen theclutch is in the position shown in Fig. 6, the wheel G is loose upon theshaft F, and the head of the invalid may be lifted or he may be raisedto an inclined position, as may be desired.

From the above description it will be noted that We have constructed amechanism which is simple and by means of which a single person with butlittle exertionis enabled to handle an invalid with perfect comfort tothe latter, and to change the bedclothing as may be desired, or to raisethe head of the invalid, or even to raise the invalid to an inclinedposition.

Ve do not limit ourselves to the specific arrangement here shown wherebythe invalid is adapted to be raised and turned for the purposedescribed, for these may be varied, as will readily occur to skilledmechanics, without departing from the spirit and scope of ourin'vention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patout, 'is i 1. An apparatus of the character described 2.An apparatus of the character described I comprising a supporting-frame,verticallyjourn-aled screw-threaded shafts, a horizontal shaft, thevertical and horizontal shafts having intermeshing gears, internallyscrewthreaded sockets engaging the screw-threaded shafts, the socketscarrying rotating holders, and invalid-supporting sheets adapted to beconnected to the rotatable holders, substan tially as described.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising asupporting-frame, vertical elevating-shafts, ahorizontal shaft, thevertical and horizontal shafts having intermeshing gears,vertically-movable sockets engaging the said'vertical shafts and movedvertically by the rotation thereof, rotatable holders car-. ried by thesockets, and means for rotating the holders, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising asupporting-frame, vertically-arranged elevating-shafts a horizontaldrivingshaft, intermeshing gears between the vertical and horizontalshafts, rotatable holders movable vertically for engagement with thevertically-arranged shafts, sheets secured to the upper and lowerportions of the rotatable holders, uniting members for the edges of thesheets, and means for rotating the holders, substantially as described.

5, An apparatus of the character described comprising asupporting-framework, verti-- cally-arranged elevating-shafts,verticallymovable members elevated by the shafts, rotatable holderssupported by the elevating members, an invalid support or sheet havingits ends connected to the holders, one of the holders having a gear, anda shaft carried by one of the elevating members provided with a pinionengaging the said gear of the holder, the parts adapted to operate asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANK SPICER. WILLIAM SNYDER.

